Fonzie Abbott bar and brewery
Beloved coffee roaster Fonzie Abbott has been busy working away on a new beverage – but it’s not of the caffeine variety. Instead, the coffee roaster has recently unveiled its own range of craft beer. You can currently only get Fonzie Abbott brews on tap at a few of Brisbane’s finest ale houses including The Scratch, The End, Bloodhound Bar, Death Valley and Netherworld, and the team is also in the process of setting up its own brewery and bar, tentatively scheduled for completion by mid-year. As the plans are still in the approval and licensing stage, details are being kept under wraps for now. That being said, we’ve been told to expect Fonzie Abbott tinnies in the near future and taphouse-only brews – including limited releases and collaborations – once the brewery is up and running.

W Brisbane’s signature restaurant
Since it was announced in 2014, we’ve been very excited about the opening of W Brisbane – after all, it will be the first five-star hotel to open in the CBD in 20 years. So far we’ve been teasingly drip-fed all of the luxurious details (including W Hotels’ philosophy that guests can have ‘whatever they want, whenever they want it’), and the hotel has confirmed that in the coming weeks it will be announcing its exciting partnership for its signature restaurant. We’ve been promised that the restaurant will be a stand-out culinary destination, featuring locally sourced produce and an open cooking element. The eclectic setting will invite the outdoors in, and seat up to 158 patrons. W Brisbane has also released initial details on its iconic WET^® Deck, which will serve up champagne, cocktails and Aussie barbecue fare to the backdrop of river views and DJ beats. The poolside space will also host the hotel brand’s renowned Summer Series parties. We’ll have more details for you soon!

Gin Sanity
Holy calamity, scream (g)insanity … Brisbane is getting its first annual gin festival! Set to take over Bakery Lane on Saturday February 17, Gin Sanity will bring together a selection of Australian and international gins, with each brand making a classic G&T plus a signature cocktail for the day. The festival is being hosted by Moubment Group (The Apo and Laruche) and Toowoomba’s Cooreyosity Group, who will be running Gin Sanity in Toowoomba the weekend prior. The line-up currently includes The Botanist, Sipsmith Distillery, Archie Rose and Whitley Neill, with more distillers to be announced soon, plus live music, food and gin masterclasses. Tickets to Gin Sanity are on sale now – head to our Event Guide for details.

Emporium Hotel Fortitude Valley 
Anthony John Group’s Emporium Hotel Fortitude Valley has been sold, acquired by Hong Kong-based boutique hotel chain Ovolo. The Australian Financial Review reported the decision was based on Anthony John Group looking to focus all of its energy on the 2018 opening of Southpoint Emporium Hotel at South Bank. Emporium is the second Brisbane hotel to be acquired by Ovolo, with the group taking over The New Inchcolm Hotel and Suites in June last year, and the fifth in Australia. The hotel chain’s founder Girish Jhunjhnuwala confirmed it would be taking Emporium “to the next level”, with Ovolo’s signature luxury interiors and an all-inclusive hospitality aspect.

New openings for 2018
Just in case you missed it – last week we put together a round-up of the most highly anticipated openings for 2018 to look forward to. With the redevelopment of the Howard Smith Wharves, plus new openings from the likes of Jerome Batten and team (Gauge, Maker, Sourced Grocer), the LONgTIME team and the Rick Shores team, it’s safe to say that this year is going to be pretty damn exciting for Brisbane’s food scene. Read more here!

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